Transport Planner

Transport Planner – Basildon
Salary Circ £35K + 10% bonus
23 Days holiday + BH
Hours 7am – 4pm Mon – Fri
Free parking
Pension with Life Insurance
Health care
Paid volunteer days
Perk Box discounts

Are you the type of person who enjoys solving puzzles, thrives under pressure, and can keep multiple plates spinning without dropping one? Can you find a truck when nobody else can, reroute a driver around three motorway closures, and still have time for a brew? If so, we want to hear from you.

We're looking for an experienced Transport Planner to join our busy pallet network operation. You'll be responsible for planning and coordinating daily collections, deliveries, and trunking movements while keeping customers happy, drivers moving, and the operation running smoothly.

What You'll Be Doing

• Planning daily routes and vehicle movements to maximise efficiency and service levels.
• Managing collections, deliveries, and trunking schedules across the pallet network.
• Keeping in regular contact with drivers, customers, and the warehouse team.
• Reacting quickly to the unexpected—because transport loves a surprise.
• Monitoring driver performance, vehicle utilisation, and operational KPIs.
• Ensuring compliance with drivers' hours, Working Time Directive, and transport legislation.
• Finding solutions when traffic, breakdowns, weather, or reality get in the way of the plan.
• Maintaining accurate records and transport system updates.

What We're Looking For

• Previous transport planning experience, ideally within a pallet network or logistics environment.
• Good understanding of transport regulations and compliance.
• Strong geographical knowledge and route planning skills.
• Excellent communication and organisational abilities.
• Ability to remain calm when everyone else is panicking.
• A sense of humour—because some days you'll need it.

The Ideal Candidate

You'll be the person who can juggle 20 things at once, answer three phones, deal with a late driver, a demanding customer, and a motorway closure, all before your first coffee has gone cold.

You know that no transport plan survives first contact with reality, but you'll have a backup plan, a backup for the backup, and probably a driver who "knows a shortcut."

Most importantly, you'll be a team player who enjoys the challenge of keeping the wheels turning and the pallets moving.

If you enjoy organised chaos, solving problems, and proving that transport planners are the real superheroes of logistics, we'd love to hear from you.